Maybe I should write a guide to cheap camping

I'm sure that's never been done before. Maybe I should buy a guide to cheap camping.

I forgot to mention it earlier, but the historic section of Mobile, AL is really beautiful. The streets are lined with these majestic old trees that I didn't have the opportunity to photograph, but I'm sure that's been done to death. There are also some pretty buildings downtown.

I got a late start today and didn't go too far because I'm working with campsite availability. The ride was uneventful-- I didn't run over a single one of the dogs who chased me. I am staying tonight at the lovely Haas-Cienda Ranch in Poplarville, MS. It's a really peaceful place run by a very sweet family who live here all year around. I suspect it's about to get less peaceful, as the waterslide opens Friday, and the summer season will get into full swing. Their tent camping rates are quite nice, and there is toilet paper in the bathroom. It seems like it's way out in the country, but is actually just on the outskirts of a decent sized town, so I'm close to all of the amenities like grocery stores and cell phone reception. If you come through here looking to camp, I would recommend it, but be warned: they don't take credit cards.

I passed by my first Southern Tier touring cyclist today. He started in Houston, and is headed for Mobile, where he will meet up with some other people and ride up the Underground Railroad route. It seems like it would be a nice trip.

There's no cozier sound...

Than rain falling on your tent-- as long as your tent isn't leaking.

It rained for most of the day, and I truly enjoyed it from my snug little nest. The thunder was vociferous and non-threatening. The mugginess was muggy. I spent much of the day reading from John Steinbeck's travelogue "Travels with Charley in Search of America," which my stepmom gave me, and I have been attempting to read for the last three months or so. It's not that large of a book, and I should have been through it quite quickly, but as a general rule, I am not a travelogue reader, so despite his apt descriptions and skill with metaphor, it hadn't really gripped me yet. Today, it is finally working for me. I think the laziness of a day off on the road lends itself well to his writing style. It's odd, but his general attitude makes reading the book feel a bit like I am talking to a more literary version of myself.

I found my new favorite sentence: "Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans."

What's that smoky, burny smell?

Is that an ash in my food?

Last night the toilet paper in the crusty ladies room ran out after the office closed, and it hadn't been replaced by the time I left. I vented my spleen at the poor guy working the desk, which didn't get me any money back, but at least my complaint was heard. And probably ignored.

I rode off into another beautiful sunny windy day, which was fortunately a crosswind most of the day. Not the tailwind I had hoped for, but better than a headwind. Around mid-afternoon I reached the lovely Airey Lake Camp, which is free of charge, courtesy of the USFS. Thank you! It's nice to see my tax dollars come back to me. I have realized that, with a few outliers, my love of a campsite is inversely proportional to the price I pay to stay in it. Anywho, this place has everything I need: a dry little flat-topped hill on which to set my tent without fear of flooding, a pump with nice clean water, and a sturdy little brick toilethouse where I may end up weathering tomorrow's storms. The prediction is not good, so I figured I may as well hole up in the free campground and take a day off. No reason to push myself too hard too soon (in yucky weather!), since I'm kinda starting off cold again.

I got here early enough in the day to clean some stuff and make a nice dinner. For a little while I was smelling smoke, but a call to the fire people informed me that there is a prescribed burn a ways downwind of me, so everything is cool. The call also informed me that my meager cell reception here may be just barely good enough for slow internet, but talking is pretty much right out.

I... love it?

On Saturday my uthah muthah had a book signing in Mobile, AL, so I hitched a ride in order to avoid a week of navigating Alabama. I've decided I'm no longer in any mood for route planning; I just want to ride. I've purchased the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier maps-- yes, the ones I poo-pooed back in Montana, where there was only one road and no navigation required-- and the route happens to run right through Mobile. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to meet Chris's brother in Birmingham or Beth's mom in the panhandle, but happily, I didn't have to ride my bike anywhere near Birmingham.

We spent the night in a hotel in Mobile (a little send off gift to myself), and this morning I took off riding west. It was a beautiful sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky, which is a relief after the stormy weather that has been happening. The only fly in my ointment was the brutal headwind. Welcome back to the road, Cheri. A kindly gentleman stopped me just before I reached the Mississippi border to warn me that the road was flooded ahead with water about a foot deep. After consulting a map, I decided that fording a river four times barefoot carrying everything I owned would be easier than a detour, so I went on. Besides, every other vehicle that passed was a pickup, and people love a damsel in distress, so I figured I wouldn't get wet.

When I reached the flooded spot, it was every bit as bad as the man had said. I assessed the situation, then began removing my shoes and socks. Just then, a kindly couple in a big shiny pickup stopped and offered me a ride. Yay!

Everyone else I talked to all day was very friendly, and when I stopped to phone a friend, I found myself babbling about how great it was to be on the road again, and how most people are inherently good, and how you get back what you put out there, and how people are so nice to touring cyclists, and how the karmic gratification when I'm on the road is pretty much instantaneous.

In my final mile of the day, a chihuahua and a... I dunno, let's say a terrier chased me. I had my eye on the chihuahua, and I felt my back tire run over something. It wasn't enough of a bump to be the whole dog, so it must have been his foot or something. He stopped chasing me. Maybe that'll teach him. This time, I didn't even stop. It's so much easier when you don't actually see their head go under you tire.

Finally, I reached the campground that had a sign out front that said "RVs and primitive camping." The guy had the nerve to charge me an arm and a leg, and explained that all of the sites were the same, with power hook-ups and whatnot, so it was all the same price. I asked about the primitive camping and he just shook his head. I suspect he saw a rich cycling yankee coming and decided to screw me. I didn't have any other option, as everything is far too flooded to even consider stealth camping, and I was too tired of fighting the headwind to ride further. This place is such a friggin' pit. It is full of trashy trailer people who largely seem to be living here on a near permanent basis. The bathroom is a dank hole, and the cleaner shower stall was in that condition because it was missing a door lock. The water was hot, but somehow... Slimy? I couldn't seem to rinse off the soap well enough. During my entire shower I was treated to the sounds of some harpy yelling at her worthless brats. I couldn't even bring myself to sit outside of my tent for long enough to make a decent dinner, so it was lunch all over again. I would recommend against a visit to the Bluff River Campground in Vancleave, MS. The day didn't exactly end well, and I'm a bit grumpy right now.

But I'm still glad to be back on the road. And tomorrow I should have a tailwind.

Blowing my own horn

I'm back in Huntsville, where phones and internets work. I don't have much else to say, so I'm just going to give you this: Yann Black updated his website, and I made the cut!

And some people love pain.

Airports are my fave.

After a fun, relaxing week in Gainesville, I am now headed back to Huntsville, just as the weather is turning in northern Florida. Heck yeah! Upon my return, I will be headed out to the farm for a couple of days, and it is a bit remote, so I will be out of contact until some time on Wednesday.

Later...

What is better than classic Trivial Pursuit?

The Nineties edition of Trivial Pursuit.

We played the crap out of that game.

We have also done a bunch of lounging around, talking and eating. We went for a swim in the cold cold pool, and found some craigslist furniture for my aunt. Today we went out to St. Augustine, oldest city in America, intending to go to the beach, but it was cold and windy. We settled for viewing the fort and the town, then headed back to Gainesville, where it is warmer than on the coast right now.

I wish I was staying longer, but I'm out on Monday.